


The Ruins of Gorlan (Book One of The Ranger s Apprentice Series)

by Pinktree26



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Fanfiction, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-02-28 12:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18756232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinktree26/pseuds/Pinktree26
Summary: Halt O’Carrick has a daughter in Whitby Fief. Sierra O’Carrick is chosen as the first female Ranger, to be trained by Gilan, Halt’s former apprentice. Now one their way to the Gathering Ground, they run into Halt and Will. The two young apprentices become fast friends, and Sierra takes the lead in hunting down the Kalkara.





	1. Prologue

Unbeknownst to many, Halt O’Carrick, the legendary Ranger that defeated the evil Lord Morgarath, had a daughter. Her name was Sierra O’Carrick, yet she knew nothing of her parents. Her mother had died in childbirth, her father never mentioned to her. She resided in the ward at Castle Meric in Meric Fief. She was nearing her time of the Choosing Day, where all eligible youngsters were chosen by the Craftmasters of their Castle and surrounding fiefdom. To protect her from the harsh life that she was bound to grow up in, Halt sent her to Whitby Fief with a note. 

‘Take care of her. Her mother died in childbirth. Her father went missing. Her name is Sierra O’Carrick.’

She was left on the doorstep of Castle Whitby’s Ward, a place were children with no parents or living family went. Little did Halt know at the time, his daughter would end up in the dangers of a Ranger’s life.


	2. Choosing Day

Sierra woke up early, as she always did. She felt nervous for some reason. Then she remembered what day it was. It was the Choosing Day. She wasn’t sure what job she wanted to have. She wasn’t going to be admitted into the Battleschool, that was for boys. Diplomatic Service seemed too strict and boring. Scribeschool would leave her hands tired and cramped. And the others she didn’t fancy trying. The only one she was interested in was the Ranger occupation. But she had no clue if the local Ranger, Gilan, would be taking an apprentice. Then she told herself that the Rangers only accepted males. 

“I am not going to get into an apprenticeship, am I?” Sierra asked her reflection. 

Her reflection didn’t reply, as she expected. What she didn’t notice, as she turned away, her reflection winked at her retreating back. She got ready for the day and ate silently, while her wardmates were chattering excitedly. 

“Sier, where are you hoping to go?” Amy asked. 

“I don’t know,” Sierra replied quietly. 

She withdrew even more into her chair and hid her face behind her hair. The others left her alone, making sure that they didn’t look at her. Later that day, the assistant of Baron Matthew, Celia, came to collect the five friends. 

“This way, please,” she said. 

They all lined up and followed her into the Baron’s study. When they were gathered in the study, they were rearranged according to height. This meant that Sierra was last in line, being an inch shorter than Amy. And then came the Craftmasters. Sierra watched them file in and stand side by side. 

Then she saw Gilan, the Ranger. He stood behind the chair of the Baron as he watched her closely. She didn’t really pay attention to what her wardmates said, not completely wanting or caring to know. Finally, it was her turn. She stepped forward and took a deep breath. 

“My name is Sierra O’Carrick, my lord. As to where I wish to go, I must confess I have no idea,” she said. 

She didn’t meet anyone’s eye, just remained staring at the floor. Gilan watched her carefully, now fully sure of her future. She shared the same last name as his former master, Halt O’Carrick. He stepped forward, eyes trained on the girl in front of him. 

“I’ll take her,” Gilan said. 

All eyes turned to him in surprise. There had never been a female Ranger before. Everyone turned to look at Sierra, who’s eyes were wide in shock and hope. Gilan smiled softly at her. Sierra felt a smile creep up her lips, knowing that she’d get a chance to do the thing she always wanted to do. 

“Thank you, Ranger Gilan! I won’t let you or the Ranger Corps down!” Sierra promised. 

Gilan nodded his approval. He handed her a piece of paper with directions to his cottage and what time to be there. Sierra took it with a large smile on her face. She skipped to her room later and packed everything she would need. She threw in five changes of clothes, a few books to read, a journal and quill, a pot of ink tightly screwed, and the necklace that had been left with her. It was a bronze oak leaf on a silver chain. The symbol of the Rangers. She never wore it because she wasn’t a Ranger. But it seemed that she would be one soon.


	3. The Start of Training

Sierra woke up before the sun was even close to nearing the horizon. She grabbed her bag, swung it over her shoulder and snuck into the kitchens to get some food for breakfast. She grabbed her food, gobbled it up, made sure she was presentable, and started off for Gilan’s cottage. She waited until she saw smoke curling out of the chimney to step silently onto the verandah. She knocked on the door and heard a crash on the other side. 

Gilan opened the door a few seconds later. He was obviously half-asleep, judging by his hair and general appearance. 

“I didn’t expect you so early,” he said. 

“I can come back in a bit,” Sierra suggested. 

“No, no. It’s fine. Come on in,” the Ranger said, standing aside to let the young girl in. 

As she entered, she caught sight of the smashed coffee pot on the floor. She hurried over and picked up the pieces of porcelain. She set them all gently on the counter, avoiding the sharp edges. 

Gilan watched her with curiosity. Already she was taking care of the house without him telling her to. He watched as she set about making breakfast for him, humming slightly under her breath. Her hum was on the very edge of his Ranger’s hearing, which was surprising to him. He watched as she set the table for him, noticing that she didn’t set herself a place to eat. 

“You’re not eating?” Gilan questioned. 

“I already ate,” she answered simply. 

She looked over at him and frowned slightly. She took in his nightclothes and straightened up, hands on hips. She tossed her head in the direction of his bedroom. 

“You go and make yourself presentable while I finish making you something to eat,” she ordered. 

Gilan raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. While he was changing into his Ranger’s uniform, he got the sense that she was going to be the strongest Ranger in the Corps. He walked back out to find Sierra placing the last of the food on the table for him. He walked up behind her, trying to scare her. 

“Don’t try,” Sierra said, startling him. 

She turned around to find a surprised Gilan standing there, staring at her. 

“Sit,” she ordered. 

He did. She herself didn’t sit, watching as he ate. Gilan noticed with satisfaction that she wasn’t moving an inch except for breathing and blinking. 

‘That’ll come in handy when I teach her to move silently,’ he thought. 

Sierra was actually watching nothing, her eyes unfocused so that any movement would be captured by her peripheral vision. Very little escaped her watchful gaze. Gilan started to reach out to her only for her to snap her head in his direction. The movement took Gilan off guard, and his expression become startled. 

“Not much can escape your eyes, can it?” Gilan asked. 

Sierra shook her head with a smile. Gilan stood to take the plate to the sink. Sierra, however, beat him to it. She took the plate from his hands and cleaned it before drying it and putting it away in the cabinet. 

“Anything you need me to do today? Cleaning the house is most likely on that list,” Sierra said. “Where do you want me to start?”

Gilan was taken aback by her undisturbed manner approaching housework. He gestured to the rug. He watched as Sierra rolled it up and slung it over one shoulder before taking it outside. 

“She is a strange one,” he muttered to himself. 

“What did you say?” Sierra asked, poking her head in the window, eyebrow raised. 

“Nothing,” he replied quickly. 

Sierra frowned then disappeared. Seconds later, the sound of powerful strokes hitting the rug rang out from the clearing behind the house. Gilan shook his head. 

“She might be good with a sword. I’ll have to show her,” he mused. 

He walked outside to talk to Sierra just as the girl appeared in the doorway. She was humming again as she walked right passed him and picked up the broom. She looked at Gilan and shooed him out the door so that he wouldn’t be in the way. He heard her humming at the edge of his hearing as she swept the floor until it shone. She sent the dust and dirt out the door, making Gilan cough. She washed the floor and let it dry before she replaced the rug. She cleaned out the fireplace, restocked it for the next fire, chopped firewood and put it away. She filled up the water barrel and scrubbed the pots and pans until they shone. All the while, she never complained. She hummed her song and cleaned everything without being told. She came back with a pot of wildflowers that she had picked from the riverbank. 

“Why do you have those?” Gilan questioned. 

“I noticed you have wildflowers in the vases and saw they were dying out. I decided to gather new ones for you,” Sierra replied happily, a smile on her face. 

She put away the pots and pans and switched out the flowers. She turned to look at Gilan, waiting for more instructions. 

“Anything else you want me to do?” Sierra asked. 

“I think that’s everything,” Gilan replied. 

It was only mid-morning when she had finished her tasks. Normally, it would’ve taken until mid-afternoon. Sierra’s zeal and enthusiasm had gotten her to work harder and faster until it was finished. 

“Now what?” Sierra asked, ready to do more. 

Gilan looked at her carefully, noticing the light in her eyes. She seemed to bounce on her feet, ready to go and do something more. He found it odd. Most apprentices would be exhausted and unhappy. Sierra seemed to be the exact opposite. She looked ready to fight someone and win. Gilan stood up and gestured for her to follow. She did. 

“Are you going to teach me something or give me another job?” Sierra asked. 

“Both,” Gilan replied easily. 

“Weapons?” Sierra guessed. 

Gilan didn’t answer, acting like he hadn’t heard her. Sierra rolled her eyes and jumped into the nearest tree, following him in the trees like a wraith. 

“I’m going to show you how to ride,” Gilan finally said. 

When he didn’t receive an answer, he stopped and turned around. Not seeing the girl behind him, he panicked. 

“Sierra? Sierra!” 

Sierra landed behind him and jump scared him. Gilan whipped around with his saxe knife in hand. On instinct, he swung it. The blade caught on Sierra’s shoulder and cut a long gash in it. 

“Sierra! I’m so sorry!” Gilan cried out, dropping the knife and racing forward. 

He took Sierra’s arm in his hands, carefully pulling the collar of her shirt over her shoulder to expose the wound. Sierra merely looked at him as he proceeded to freak out. 

“I’d’ve thought you’d‘ve noticed me in the tree,” she said calmly. 

“I didn’t expect you to jump out of the tree like that, Sierra. We need to get you fixed up,” Gilan replied, eyes glued to her bleeding cut. 

Sierra pulled away from him and ripped a piece of her cloak that she had brought. She pulled her arm out of her sleeve and wrapped the cloth around her shoulder tightly, staunching the flow of blood. She put her arm back into the sleeve and looked at Gilan. He was still worried about her, wanting to get her back to his cottage where he’d be able to heal her faster. 

“What about the horse I’ll be riding?” Sierra asked, ignoring the blood and wound. 

“We can worry about your horse later. Let’s get your shoulder healed first,” Gilan said. 

“This’ll work for now. Where are the horses?”

“Sierra, please. I would feel a lot better if I fixed your shoulder first.”

“Gilan, you may be my master, but I am not going to let anyone tell me what to do in my life. I will obey your orders if you ask nicely instead of demanding me. I understand that you’re concerned. A master-apprentice relationship also revolves around trust. You must trust me to make the right choices for myself. I’m not severely injured. Now, can we go to the horses?”

Gilan relented. With a sigh, he held out his hand and let her take it. He picked up his knife and wiped it clean on his tunic before putting it in its scabbard. He led her deeper into the trees until they came to a small cluster of buildings. Sierra let Gilan do all the introductions as an older man emerged from the building that looked like a house. 

“Marlow, meet my new apprentice, Sierra O’Carrick. Sierra, this is our Ranger horse trainer, Marlow,” Gilan said. 

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Sierra said politely, inclining her head. 

“She’s polite. I didn’t know that the Corps was now accepting girls,” Marlow replied, directing the last statement to Gilan. 

“Actually, they’re not yet. But after they see the progress that Sierra’s going to be making, I’m sure they’ll let her join,” Gilan said, shuffling his feet. 

“Well, I’m not going to be a Ranger apprentice without a horse, am I?” Sierra asked, politely reminding them of the horses. 

“Of course a Ranger needs a horse,” Marlow told her, smiling. “Right this way.”

They followed the old man to the stables to see two horses. One was a bay horse, who nickered when she saw Gilan. Sierra knew this to be Gilan’s horse. The other horse was more of a shaggy pony. 

“This is Star,” Marlow informed her, gesturing to the white pony. 

“Hello, Star,” Sierra murmured into the horse’s ear. 

Star nickered a greeting and butted the girl’s uninjured shoulder lightly. Sierra smiled and stroked the horse’s muzzle. 

“What do you think?” Marlow asked her. 

“She’s wonderful,” Sierra replied happily. 

“Try mounting her,” Marlow challenged. 

Sierra thought it all through and looked at them. 

“Anything I need to say to her first?” Sierra asked, eyebrow raised in a challenge of her own. 

“Say ‘Honey’ in her ear,” Marlow replied, defeated. 

“Honey,” Sierra whispered into Star’s ear. 

The little horse whinnied and let the girl get on her back. Sierra tapped the horse’s side and let Star start at a walk. Then a trot. Then a canter. She noticed that Marlow had opened the gate and turned Star toward it. And set her at a gallop. They whizzed past the gate and the two figures standing there. Sierra was bent low over Star’s neck, standing up slightly in the stirrups to allow her body to move more freely with the movement of the horse’s body. She quickly moved to stand in the saddle, crouching with her feet lightly balanced on the balls of her feet. She was glad she had tied her hair up in a ponytail now, instead of letting it fall freely as it usually did. She turned the horse around and was surprised to see how far they had come. She couldn’t even see Gilan or Marlow even though she knew where they were. 

“Let’s go, girl,” Sierra whispered. 

Star snorted and picked up the pace. They were approaching a fallen log and leapt over it easily. Sierra’s feet left the saddle for a few seconds before she regained her balance. They slowed to a stop next to Gilan and Marlow. 

“You’re a natural!” Marlow praised. 

“I’m not bad, I guess,” Sierra replied with a shrug. 

“Not bad?! You rode Star like you’ve been riding her your whole life!” Marlow exclaimed. 

Sierra dismounted and wandered over to the bay horse, stroking her mane. 

“What’s her name?” Sierra asked. 

“Blaze,” Gilan replied proudly. “The words you need to speak to her are Brown Eyes.”

“Brown Eyes,” Sierra repeated to the horse. 

Blaze tossed her head and let Sierra mount her. Gilan smiled at his apprentice. While she took Blaze for a run, Gilan spoke quietly to Marlow. 

“She’s a natural already,” he told the horse trainer. 

“She seems to be. She has a good connection with both horses,” Marlow replied. 

“She managed to scare the living daylights out of me earlier. Climbed up a tree without me noticing, landed behind me when I turned around, and scared me. On instinct, I swung my knife at her. Caught her shoulder, but she didn’t make a sound. Just pushed the pain to one side and kept asking about the horses.” 

“She’s a strong one, that’s for sure.”

“I was thinking that, in addition to the normal Ranger weapons, she could handle a sword as well.” 

“You could try that with her. That’s not a bad idea, really.”

Gilan nodded and smiled when Blaze and Sierra returned a few seconds later. 

“What were you talking about?” Sierra asked Gilan. 

“I was thinking that one: you’re a complete natural and two: you might be good with a sword,” Gilan replied, summing up the conversation in one sentence. 

“I’ll give it a shot,” Sierra replied. “When do we start with weapons?”

“In the afternoon. For now, let’s go make lunch,” Gilan answered. 

Sierra nodded and leapt from Blaze’s back to Star’s. She kicked Star into a gallop, heading back to the cottage. She felt herself weakening from the wound in her shoulder, but promised herself she’d let Gilan patch it up once they were back home. Gilan quickly followed the girl, but not before he told Marlow one last thing. 

“Star is a good name for that horse. Not only does it match the horse’s personality, but it matches Sierra’s.”


	4. Stories

Gilan entered the cottage and found Sierra sitting at the table, her back to him. He knew from earlier that it wasn’t going to work trying to sneak up on her. Instead, he walked over and sat next to her. She looked up at him and smiled gently. 

“I think I can let you fix my shoulder now,” she said. 

Gilan nodded and retrieved the medical kit that all Rangers carried with them. He set it on the table and opened it. Sierra slipped her arm out of her sleeve and let Gilan tend to her shoulder. He was gentle with his actions, making sure that he didn’t hurt her more. Sierra smiled at his gentleness. It showed that he cared about her. 

“If you’re worried about causing me any pain, don’t worry. I can deal with it, Gilan,” she assured him. 

“I just don’t want to hurt you anymore than you already are,” he told her softly. 

Sierra shrugged and let him do his thing. She let herself drift off into sleep, but not too much. 

Gilan worked quickly and carefully. He wanted to get this done as fast as possible while be sure to heal her properly. He noticed that Sierra was once again humming her song, just on the edge of his hearing. He found that it helped him relax a bit, not in such a rush. 

“If you go too fast, you’re bound to make a mistake,” he heard Sierra whisper to him. 

He looked up and was meet with the girl’s blue-green eyes sparkling with wisdom and talent. He quickly looked away and finished her shoulder. 

“Thanks,” Sierra said, pulling her sleeve back on. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Gilan asked her, still worried. 

“I’m fine, Gilan. Don’t worry so much.”

“As your master, it’s my job to worry about you.”

“Oh, I get it. Your concern is merely your job. You don’t actually care. Got it. I’ll remember that for when you’re hurt. It’ll be my job to worry about you.”

Sierra spoke with a slightly sarcastic voice. Gilan heard it and sighed, shaking his head. 

“Why did I take you as my apprentice again?” Gilan asked. 

“Cause I was the best suited to it,” Sierra replied easily. 

Gilan realized that she was correct. She was the best suited out of everyone. She stood up, not doubt to make lunch, but Gilan pushed her back into the chair. 

“I’ll get lunch. Consider it a weak payback for cutting your shoulder,” he said. 

Sierra glared at him and stood up. She shoved him into a chair and strode into the kitchen. 

“How else am I to learn if I don’t do it myself?” she asked. “The only way to learn is to do it. Of course, I used to do most of the housework in the ward, so this is nothing new to me. That’s how I was able to get all the housework done so quickly. Usually, I have to do the whole ward, which takes about six and a half hours each day. I get the rest of the day free. I usually find some other job to do around the castle, or go into the forest for the remainder of the day. I’m an adventurous girl, not one to sit back and let others do the work. Which is why you’re sitting down, and I’m making lunch.”

Gilan had listened intently to her words, her speed and accuracy with the housework making sense now. He chuckled and shook his head. 

“What’s so funny?” Sierra asked, not turning to look at him. 

“I just figured out how you got so much stuff done in such a small amount of time. That’s all,” Gilan assured her. 

Sierra nodded briefly and went back to humming her song. 

“If I may ask, what song are you humming?” Gilan asked. 

He instantly regretted it. 

Sierra froze, her body tensing up. She tried to force back the tears that threatened to fall, but she couldn’t. After the first one fell, the others came easily. She forced her shoulders and body to relax, not giving away any sign of distress. But the quiet sobs were enough to catch Gilan’s attention. 

He sprang from his chair and hurried over to her, wrapping his arms around her. This made her tears worse. She gave up all pretense of casualty and cried into Gilan’s shoulder as he held her tightly. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve asked,” he whispered, stroking her hair softly. 

“It’s not your fault. I should be over it by now,” Sierra mumbled. 

“If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll be here. Now, you sit. I’ll finish lunch.”

Sierra shook her head and pushed away from Gilan. She continued to make lunch, ignoring Gilan’s protests. Finally, Gilan picked her up and set her on her chair. It was when she made no move to get up that he knew something was terribly wrong. 

Gilan went back to finishing lunch, his mind racing. What could have made her have such a reaction to such a simple question? There were only two things he could think of. Someone betrayed her in some way. Or someone hurt her in some way. The song she kept humming must’ve been something related to one of those two things. And he found that he absolutely despised the idea of someone betraying or harming her in any way at all. He felt anger rise to the surface but pushed it down before he exploded and scared her. 

“It was a young man, about eighteen years old,” Sierra’s voice cut across his angry thoughts. “He was so nice to me at first, saying he’d protect me. That he’d never leave me. Then, one night, he came in and attacked me. I nearly died that night from blood loss. I woke up in the infirmary a week after it happened, barely remembering anything. He came in, apologizing and saying that that would never happen again. I didn’t believe him. I sent him away and told him that if I ever saw him again, I would not hesitate to put a knife in his heart, like he nearly did to me. That was five years ago.”

Gilan turned to face the girl in the chair, seeing the tears, hearing the breaking of her voice. 

“Where is he now?” Gilan asked gently. 

“Gone. He left the fief. He’s still out there, maybe looking for a way to get me back. But I know one thing. I will never let him near me again.”

“Neither will I. He comes near you, he’ll have to go through me first. No one will harm my apprentice. No one.”

Sierra sent him a watery smile and shivered at the thought of the young man coming back to hurt her again. Gilan moved over and removed his Ranger’s cloak, wrapping the girl in it. 

“Thank you, Gilan,” she whispered. 

“Think nothing of it, Sierra. Now, lunch is ready so eat.” 

Sierra rolled her eyes playfully and ate her lunch silently. Gilan sat next to her and managed to cheer her up to get that smile back in place. Soon, she was laughing and smiling again, the young man forgotten. But, Gilan knew, something like that could never go away.


	5. Gathering Grounds

Over the next few months, Gilan trained Sierra with the bow, double daggers, and the sword. And by the time it was time to leave to the Gathering Ground, she was ready to face all the hate-filled, disrespectful comments that were bound to come her way. Gilan had never told her of Halt, because he wasn’t altogether sure if he was her father. He didn’t want to give her false hope. 

“Ready?” Gilan asked. 

“In a second,” Sierra replied as she finished packing her small bag. 

She opened the door five seconds later and stepped into the small hall. She skipped away to the front door, moving around the outside of the house to the stables that contained the two Ranger horses. 

Star and Blaze nickered a greeting to the young girl as she made her way over to them. Daemyn, a grey wolf pup, looked up and barked happily. Sierra had found the wolf pup in her first month of training. Gilan had been reluctant to keep it, but finally relented. 

Though he would never say it to her face, Sierra was allowed to get away with many things in his cottage. She could’ve brought a bear cub and raised it. He wouldn’t have made any objections. He loved the girl as though she was his sister. He protected her, kept her safe. He would never let someone hurt her. Not if he had a say. 

Gilan came into the stable to find Blaze saddled up already, Sierra now saddling Star. 

Swinging up into the saddle, she whistled to let Daemyn know that it was time to leave. The pup stood up and stretched out before following her out of the stables. Gilan swung into his saddle and followed next to her. 

“So, which way?” Sierra asked. 

“Northwest,” Gilan replied. 

She nodded and pulled out her northseeker. She quickly aligned it and set off at a canter. Gilan smiled and went after her. 

Three days later, they arrived on a well-worn path. 

“This the path?” Sierra asked. 

Gilan nodded and put a finger to his lips. She stopped both horses and wolf momentarily in time to hear two other horses up ahead. 

“I’m going to sneak around that way,” Sierra mouthed, pointing to the direction she wished to go. 

Gilan nodded and rode off ahead. Sierra climbed a tree nearby and found another young boy in the tree next to her. She was surprised. Then, she took an arrow and nocked it to the string of her bow. When the boy jumped down, she let the arrow fly through the air and land, quivering in the ground between his feet. The boy yelped and jumped, spinning around. He looked at the position of the arrow and looked in the direction the arrow had come from. 

“Come down,” Gilan called. 

Sierra jumped down the tree easily, landing in a crouch. 

‘Get ready for the disrespectful comments,’ she thought. 

“What’s a girl doing here?” the young boy asked. “I thought Rangers only took males.”

“They do,” the older Ranger said. 

“Sierra, meet Halt, my former master, and Will, his new apprentice. Halt, Will, this is my apprentice, Sierra,” Gilan said. 

“Nice to meet you, Will,” Sierra said, shaking hands firmly with the boy. 

“Nice to meet you too, Sierra,” Will replied, smiling happily. 

“Gilan’s spoken frequently of you, Halt. I’m pleased to meet you at last,” Sierra said, turning to the older Ranger. 

While she didn’t expect a warm welcome, she knew it was the polite thing to do. She got a surprise. 

Halt smiled and nodded at her in approval. 

“Nice to finally meet you too, Sierra,” he said. “Now, come along you two.”

Sierra whistled and smiled at the wolf who loped out of the trees. Will yelped and jumped backward. 

“He’s harmless,” Gilan informed as Halt went to shoot the pup. 

“Harmless? It’s a wolf,” Halt replied. 

“So? Sierra picked him up about seven months ago. He’s been staying with us ever since,” Gilan explained. 

“Fine,” Halt grumbled. 

Gilan smiled and mounted Blaze as Sierra mounted Star. While they rode, Will and Sierra found they had a lot in common. Halt and Gilan were catching up on things they had missed. 

“A girl? Gilan, you know that the Ranger Corps doesn’t accept girls,” Halt said. 

“I know they don’t. But they never tried to see if a girl would make a good Ranger. She’s only been training with me for seven months yet she’s better than me at everything. It’s no joke, Halt,” Gilan replied. 

“I can hear you, you know. Even though you a good thirty-three and a half meters and two inches ahead of me. Trust me, I’m prepared to face anything the other Rangers throw at me. Words, arrows, and knives won’t be a problem for me to hurl back at them,” Sierra called out, louder than necessary. 

Halt and Gilan turned to see Sierra now reengaged in her conversation with Will, acting as though she hadn’t said a word. Gilan grinned as he turned back around. They emerged into the Gathering Ground to find it buzzing with activity. The second they caught sight of the new arrivals, they all froze. 

“What’s she doing here?!” a voice thundered. 

The Ranger Commandant, Crowley, came storming over, glaring at the girl. Sierra merely held his glare with a steady, unwavering gaze. She dismounted and stood before the Commandant. 

“I am Sierra O’Carrick, apprentice of Ranger Gilan of Meric Fief,” she replied in a strong voice. 

There was a buzz of conversation at this announcement. Eyes turned to Halt, who was beside her. Sierra looked right at Crowley, who looked shocked. 

“Halt, you never said anything about a daughter,” Crowley whispered. 

At this, Sierra’s head whipped around to look at Halt, who was pale-faced and shocked. Then it turned to anger. 

“I sent you to Meric Fief so that you might be protected from a Ranger’s life,” he snarled. 

“Well, I’m sorry if you don’t control my life. I control my life, Halt. And I’m not calling you ‘Father’ until you earn that title,” Sierra shot back. 

Halt seemed shocked to be spoken to like that. Crowley glared at the girl who, in his mind, had no business being there. 

“Gilan, you know we don’t accept girls,” Crowley scolded. 

Gilan didn’t answer, merely looked at the ground in shame. 

“You will not speak to Gilan like that, sir,” Sierra spoke up. “I understand that you believe that females are useless things meant to be pushed around by the males. Well, let me tell you something, sir. We females aren’t as useless as we seem. Train us and we can fight better than you.” 

“You will not speak to me like that!” Crowley snapped. 

“You will not tell me how to live my life. It was Gilan’s choice to accept me as his apprentice. He didn’t have to. But, as he told me, I was the only one eligible to become a Ranger. So I suggest you deal with it. If you’re trying to scare me, I can guarantee that it won’t happen,” Sierra shot back, arms crossed over her chest. 

Crowley reached forward with the speed only a Ranger would have. Sierra reacted faster. 

Her fingers closed around Crowley’s wrist, yanked him forward and off balance. Sierra twisted him so his back was to her. He stumbled into Sierra’s iron-like grip. She grabbed him around the neck with one arm, while she pinned his arms to his sides with her other arm. She had his legs trapped with hers, making sure he couldn’t kick out and attack her. All this was done in under five seconds. 

“I would advise you to not try that again,” Sierra whispered into his ear. 

She quickly released him and sent a punch at the back of his head while he was off balance. The heel of her hand slammed into the base of his neck, where she had been aiming. Crowley’s feet were taken off the ground, and he went flying forward for about ten feet before slamming into the ground. 

“Who’s next?” Sierra asked, looking around. 

None of the Rangers moved. No one had been able to defeat Crowley in anything, yet this girl had managed to beat him in hand to hand combat. They had never seen such a thing. She flexed her muscles and sighed. Crowley was struggling to get up. Sierra walked over and yanked him to his feet, steadying him. 

“There. You’re going to be fine,” she said. 

“How did you do that?” Crowley asked. 

“Like I said, I’m the apprentice of Gilan. He taught me to fight, and I added my own twist to it all. It’s called ‘improvising,’” Sierra replied simply. 

“Fine. You can join the Ranger Corps,” Crowley said, a small smile on his face. 

He’d never been beaten so quickly and by someone so young. It was the mark of an excellent fighter. One who wouldn’t give up even if the odds were against them. 

“Glad that’s settled. Now, what’s going on here? I get the feeling there’s some bad news. I would like to hear it,” Sierra said, clapping her hands together and looking around. 

“The Kalkara have been reported to be wandering around, killing Lord Northolt and the cavalry commander,” Crowley answered, surprising himself and everyone else. 

“Where are they?” Sierra asked. 

“We know their lair is in the Solitary Plain, past the Stone Flutes. That’s all we know,” Crowley replied. 

“It’s a start. Gilan, Halt, Will, will you three accompany me to the Solitary Plain to get rid of these things?” Sierra asked, turning to her companions. 

“You’re not going anywhere near those things,” Halt said instantly. 

“I know what they can do, I know their strengths and weaknesses. I know about these Kalkara. I’m not afraid. The trick is to take out their eyes first. It serves a double purpose. They won’t be able to see you or paralyze you with fear. Then, all you have to do is set them on fire with a torch or bonfire. The bonding oil in their matted hair is highly flammable. It shouldn’t be a problem to get rid of them,” Sierra informed them. 

“How do you know this?” Gilan asked. 

“I read,” Sierra replied easily. “Although, once they loose their sight, they will rely on their other senses, mainly hearing. Of course, as Rangers, we can slip past anyone without making a sound. So that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

“You are rather smart for your age,” Crowley complimented, his smile more pronounced. 

“I tend to read things that I most likely will never need. I read all the books in the library before. Never thought I would ever need the information on Kalkara, but you never know. Turned out to come in handy. Now, can we get ready and go hunt these things?” Sierra asked, looking at her three companions. 

“You’re going to stay well away from them. Just keep out of sight with Will,” Gilan instructed. 

Sierra shrugged. 

“As long as I get to come. I want to see one of these things for myself,” she said. 

She swung into her saddle easily and whistled to Daemyn. He loped out of the trees and leaped onto Star’s saddle, curling up in front of Sierra. 

“Let’s go,” she said. 

She spurred her horse into a gallop, disappearing into the trees. The other three followed her, realizing that she was taking the right direction without being told which way to go. She weaved her way through the trees and waited in a clearing. 

“Let’s stop here for lunch,” she said. 

The others made no move to object. She was becoming the leader of their group.


	6. Hunting

Sierra had led the group to the edge of the Solitary Plain. She looked across the desolate plain, seeing nothing except grass and more grass. 

“Isn’t this a cheerful place?” she asked. 

Her usual cheerful, bubbly mood seemed slightly toned down at the moment. Her companions cast her concerned looks. Then her normal smile was back in place. 

“Let’s go,” she chirped. 

She kicked Star into a canter and rode off into the sea of golden grass. The others quickly followed. Gilan noticed that she was humming yet again. 

“What are you humming?” Halt asked. 

Sierra turned to look at him, a small sad smile on her face. 

“That’s a story for a later time. For now, let’s concentrate on getting to these Kalkara,” she said. 

“It’s a sensitive topic for her,” Gilan whispered to his former master. 

Halt nodded in understanding. He saw the sadness on Gilan’s face and frowned, looking between him and Sierra. 

“Do you ever smile?” Will asked suddenly, looking at Halt. 

The question took him by surprise, while Sierra and Gilan burst out laughing. While they laughed, Halt let a smile appear. It was a genuine one, which took the other three by surprise. 

“He can smile,” Sierra chirped happily. 

“I know I can’t take one more step towards you,

‘Cause all that’s waiting is regret. 

Don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore? 

You lost the love I loved the most.

I learned to live half a life,

And now you want me one more time. 

Who do you think you are,

Runnin’ ‘round leaving scars?

Collecting your jar of hearts,

And tearing love apart.

You’re gonna catch a cold,

From the ice inside your soul.

So don’t come back for me.

Who do you think you are?

I hear you’re asking all around

If I am anywhere to be found.

But I have grown too strong,

To ever fall back in your arms.

I’ve learned to live half a life,

And now you want me one more time.

Who do you think you are,

Runnin’ ‘round leaving scars?

Collecting your jar of hearts,

And tearing love apart.

You’re gonna catch a cold,

From the ice inside your soul.

So don’t come back for me.

Who do you think you are?

Dear it took so long just to feel alright.

Remember how to put back the light in my eyes.

I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed,

‘Cause you broke all your promises.

And now you’re back. 

You don’t get to get me back. 

Who do you think you are,

Runnin’ ‘round leaving scars?

Collecting your jar of hearts,

And tearing love apart.

You’re gonna catch a cold,

From the ice inside your soul.

So don’t come back for me.

Don’t come back at all.

Who do you think you are,

Runnin’ ‘round leaving scars?

Collecting your jar of hearts,

And tearing love apart.

You’re gonna catch a cold,

From the ice inside your soul.

Don’t come back for me.

Don’t come back at all.

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are?”

Sierra let her heart pour out and sang the song she had been humming for months, the song Gilan, and now Halt, had asked about. She glanced back to see Gilan actually crying, Halt on the verge of tears and Will looking terribly saddened, not making eye contact. 

“That’s the song I hum a lot. I have a few others, but that’s the main one,” Sierra told them. 

That made Halt’s tears flow down his face. 

“I’m so sorry,” Halt whispered. 

“It’s not your fault, Halt. Trust me. I should’ve been over it years ago,” Sierra replied, waving his apology away. 

She turned and heard the Stone Flutes song. She found a pattern and came up with a song to go with it. Once she got the lyrics down, she started to hum it to herself. Gilan, Halt, and Will looked at her, knowing she was humming a new song that they had never heard. 

“The Flutes,” Halt realized. 

It was then that they heard the eerie song of the Stone Flutes weaving in and out of the grasses. Sierra started to sing her song, one of the pain of recovering from a wound too deep to truly recover from. It was also tied to that day when she was attacked by the young man. She never looked back at the three behind her, not wanting to see the pity and pain they were bound to feel for her. 

“Sierra, let’s stop for the night,” Gilan called out. 

The girl had been riding a few meters ahead of them and now stopped and turned back. She dismounted and was pulled into a hug from Will. She looked rather surprised. 

“I’m fine, Will,” she assured as he let her go. 

“No, you’re not. I know you’re not fine. You wouldn’t sing that song if you were,” Will pointed out. 

“Chill out, Will. If I say I’m fine, I am fine. Now, please leave me alone,” Sierra scolded him. 

She pulled away and started to get a meal going for them. They had been in the plain for two days, not seeming to get anywhere. The only sign that they were moving was the sound of the Stone Flutes playing their desolate music. The sound gradually grew louder and louder, signaling that they were getting closer. On the third day, they saw the Flutes. 

A series of stone pillars stood in a circle on a small hill, facing each other. Holes were drilled into the stone itself, the wind reflected around the circle and forced through the holes to create a sad song. The three males were cast down in their spirits. Only the girl seemed to be the same. Her smile was still in place, her songs singing with the sounds of the Flutes, though the songs tended to be sad. It was a good way for her to get all the bad feelings off her chest though. It made her feel lighter. And it helped to drown out the piercing notes of the Flutes. 

“Look out!” Sierra cried as a Plainsman appeared out of nowhere and scampered away. 

Two bows were up and ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. Halt and Gilan didn’t let their arrows fly, though. 

“I’d feel bad if the person was merely running away,” Halt said. 

“Let’s camp here tonight,” Sierra muttered, looking at the darkening sky. 

“That’s one thing about this cursed place. One place is as good as another to camp. Or as bad,” Gilan grumbled as he looked around. “I would kill for a cup of coffee.”

“Light a fire to make it, and you might have to,” Halt replied. 

“I will never understand why you love coffee so much. It’s just a drink,” Sierra pointed out. 

“Just a drink!” Gilan cried out, seemingly offended. “My dear Sierra, it is much more than ‘just a drink.’ It is the essence of life itself.”

“Then you should be dead if you don’t have it once a day. You haven’t had it in about three days. So, by technicality, you should be dead,” Sierra mused, tapping her finger to her chin. “And seeing as you’re not dead, coffee is, therefore, not the essence of life.”

With that she laid down and fell asleep. Gilan, Halt, and Will stared at her in disbelief. Gilan shook his head and went to sleep, curling up next to Sierra, an arm wrapped around her protectively. Halt sent Will to sleep and told him to get some rest. 

Sierra was woken up by the vibrations. Not the screams, the vibrations. She sat up and looked around. 

“What’s going on?” Gilan asked, looking around. 

“The Kalkara have a new target, and they’re hunting,” Sierra said grimly. 

“Did you hear their screams? Is that why you woke up?” Will asked. 

“No. I felt the vibrations of their feet on the ground. That’s what woke me up. Though their screams aren’t helping me calm down,” she added. 

“You seem calm,” Will observed. 

She gave him a withering look. She rolled her eyes and curled up again. However, she couldn’t fall asleep. Gilan wrapped her up in his cloak, trying to help her sleep. Eventually, she fell asleep, listening to Gilan singing softly. She had no clue what he was singing to her. But Halt and Will did. They said nothing, however, letting him ease her to sleep.


	7. Kalkara

The next day, the four Rangers woke up and mounted their horses. The trails left by the Kalkara were easy to find as they had made no attempt to hide their tracks. The four split up to take the two trails. Gilan and Sierra went with the second track they found a quarter kilometer from the first one, which Halt and Will were going to follow. 

“Keep an eye on them,” Halt told Will as Gilan said a similar thing to Sierra. 

“Watch them,” he said. 

The two apprentices nodded and looked over at each other. Sierra waved and got it returned by Will. However, when Gilan and Sierra disappeared, the two young Rangers alerted their masters to the disappearance. They nodded and went on their way. When they got closer to the Stone Flutes, they went more cautiously. 

“This is the only decent cover for the whole plain,” Halt pointed out. 

“Do you think they know we’re here?” Will asked. 

“Maybe. But unless you know for a fact that you’ve been seen, act like you haven’t. That way you won’t be caught off guard or give the game away too early,” Halt replied. 

“I love games!” Sierra said happily. “What game shall we play? I’m getting bored.”

Halt and Gilan looked at each other. Halt was annoyed, and Gilan was amused. Will decided to join in and nodded vigorously. 

“Can we play a game?” Will asked. 

“No,” Halt answered. 

Sierra glared at him. With a shake of her head and a sigh, she mounted Star again and rode off to the second Kalkara’s tracks. 

“Whatever,” she called. “When you’ve decided to finally come up with a plan, meet me and Will at the edge of the plain.”

Will got the message and rode after her, catching up and smiling at her. Gilan and Halt quickly mounted and went after them, stopping them. 

“You’re not going anywhere without us,” Halt said sternly. 

Sierra shrugged and looked at him, as though waiting for him to give her a gold coin. Halt quickly told them his plan, which gained nods of agreement. 

“Let’s go,” Sierra said. 

She led Gilan along at first before Gilan went past her. Halt and Will did the same. All too soon, they reached the forest to rest. 

“This is the way they’re going,” Halt said, spreading out a map of Araluen. 

He held the corners down with rocks and put an arrow on it to indicate the direction the Kalkara were heading. 

“That could leave only two places that they’re headed to. The Gorlan Ruins. Or Castle Araluen. Though, I doubt that they would go for the king,” Sierra muttered. “Castle Redmont is not too far away. One person, riding two horses, could get there in time to get the Baron and Battlemaster, get them to the Gorlan Ruins in about two days.”

“Exactly. Will, are you willing to go do this? Sierra will lend you her horse, Star,” Halt said. 

“You got this, Will,” Sierra encouraged. 

“Okay. I’ll see it done,” Will agreed. 

“Say ‘Honey’ in Star’s ear before you get on, unless you want to go flying,” Sierra told him. 

Will nodded and mounted Tug, his horse. 

“Star, follow,” Sierra said, pointing to Tug and Will after she had tied the reins up. 

Star tossed her head and trotted over to Will and Tug. Sierra watched as her horse followed her friend. 

“So, I’m going to ride with one of you two,” she said, turning to Gilan and Halt. 

Gilan held out a hand and pulled Sierra up in front of him. She had pulled her hair up in a ponytail and leaned back against Gilan as his arms went on either side of her to keep her in place. Halt led the way, Gilan close behind. 

“Try and get some rest,” Gilan whispered in her ear. 

Sierra took his advice and closed her eyes. Soon, she was sound asleep. Gilan smiled and kissed the top of her head lightly. Halt frowned at him as he turned in his saddle. 

“Relax, Halt. I’m not going to hurt her,” Gilan assured him. 

“You’d better not,” Halt warned. 

As they rode on, Will was becoming increasingly nervous as night fell. Kalkara lurked in every shadow, every noise put him on edge. When he reached the castle, he was admitted to the Baron’s study, where Baron Arald and Battlemaster Sir Rodney were listening intently to his instructions. 

“We should meet up with the others at the Gorlan Ruins. That’s where Sierra O’Carrick said they would most likely be headed,” Will said. 

The two men nodded and went to get ready, with Will taking an hour nap in the small annex. 

Meanwhile, Sierra was in a tree. Gilan and Halt had found that the Kalkara were now hunting them. 

“Maybe they’re not hunting me and Gilan. Maybe they’re hunting Halt,” Sierra pointed out. 

Halt looked at her, a spark of fear in his eyes. He motioned to a tree and looked at Sierra sternly. 

“Why should I be in the tree?” she asked. 

“Because you’re the youngest. You’re the apprentice here, not a full Ranger,” Gilan answered. 

Sierra, grumbling, pulled herself into the tree as high as she could go. Then, she waited. She saw Gilan and Halt trying to take down one of the Kalkara while the other one advanced on them. The two Rangers disappeared into the Ruins of the castle. The Kalkara that was mortally injured, was a few feet from the bonfire. 

“Time for some adventure,” Sierra whispered. 

She jumped out of the tree and charged the monster, her sword in hand. It was her surprise attack that kept her alive and killed the beast. Blaze was assisting greatly, rearing up and slamming her hooves into the chest of the Kalkara while Sierra drove her blade into its eyes. 

Gilan and Halt, hiding in the tumbled down walls of the castle, heard the scream of the Kalkara before a bright red light shot ten metres into the air and signaled that the first Kalkara was dead. Gilan and Halt looked at each other and felt fear. 

“Sierra,” Gilan whispered quietly. 

Halt put a finger to his lips as the second Kalkara made its way over to the wall, intent on killing the one who killed its brother. Gilan felt his fear grow but forced himself to ignore it all. The sound of battlehorses’ hooves rang out and shouts of greeting. 

“Sierra O’Carrick, nice to meet you,” Baron Arald said happily. 

“Hello, sir,” she replied. 

“Are you okay?” Will asked her. 

Sierra nodded and turned when she heard a scream from inside the castle. Two dark figures appeared on the wall, looking down at them. 

“Halt! Gilan! Get down here now!” Sierra yelled. 

The two of them didn’t need to be told twice. They jumped down and landed, running over to the group. The Kalkara, however, came jumping out of nowhere. Its massive arm hit the two Rangers, knocking them out and sending them sprawling. Baron Arald tried to sever its head from its body but was injured in the process of trying. Sir Rodney got caught in its paralyzing gaze. Sierra looked at Will and sighed. 

“I’m very sorry about this,” she told him. 

Before Will could ask what she meant, she slammed a rock into his head, knocking him out. She took an arrow, nocked it, and aimed it. She was aiming for the other good eye of the beast, noticing that there was a knife in the other one. She released the arrow and let it fly. It hit its mark, burying itself all the way up to the fletching in the great red eye of the Kalkara. With a scream, the Kalkara took a wild swing, taking Sir Rodney to the ground. 

“Fire. Fire. Fire,” Sierra whispered. 

She found a torch and picked it up. She raced across the clearing and slammed the torch into the chest of the Kalkara. While she was retreating, the claws of the Kalkara sliced her chest and stomach. She stumbled out of reach and watched as the Kalkara went up in smoke. Once it was dead, she knew she had to tend to her wounds. 

She kept the fire going until the others woke up enough to help her tend to their wounds. Gilan was very concerned about his apprentice. 

“Are you okay?” Gilan asked. 

“I’m fine. Really, I am,” Sierra assured. 

Gilan ignored her and spotted the gashes on her skin. His eyes widening, he quickly set about healing her. 

“I’m fine, Gilan,” Sierra snapped, pushing him off. 

“No, you’re not,” Halt replied. 

Everyone there was worried about the girl, knowing that she was the one that was in the most danger. Baron Arald and Sir Rodney let the two Rangers do their thing. It took them twenty minutes until they were satisfied that she wasn’t going to bleed out. When they were satisfied, they turned and tended to the wounds that the others were sporting. 

“I’m going to get some rest,” Sierra muttered. 

She felt weak and tired, knowing she was going to pass out soon. Gilan panicked and ran over to her, holding her tightly. 

“Stay with us, Sierra,” Gilan whispered. 

“I’m not dying, idiot! I’m merely about to pass out. Relax,” Sierra told him gently. 

Gilan managed a tight smile and held her as she slipped into the darkness.


End file.
